This invention relates to hand-held, wallpaper steamers for use in stripping wallpaper or other covering secured to a surface by a heat and/or moisture softenable adhesive.
Such steamers have been proposed before but they have not been entirely satisfactory in all respects, particularly when intended for the home user market. For such a market, the steamer must be easy to handle and be effective in use.
According to the present invention, a hand-held wallpaper steamer for use in wallpaper stripping comprises a housing accommodating a water tank, and a steam generating unit with an inlet connected to the water tank via an electrically powered pump for pumping water from the tank to the unit, the unit having steam exits, and in which the housing has a base portion, the base portion having a peripheral wall to form an open-faced steam chamber into which steam from the orifices issues.
In another embodiment of the invention, a hand-held wallpaper steamer for use in wallpaper stripping comprises a housing accommodating a steam generator having a water chamber for receiving water to be vaporised, elongate passages leading from the water chamber to steam exits in the generator and an electrically powered heating element so disposed as to heat the water chamber and the passages, the housing also comprising a base portion having a peripheral wall to form an open steam chamber and in which steam from the steam exits enters the steam chamber.
In one form, a hand-held wallpaper steamer for use in stripping wallpaper comprises a housing with a detachable base portion open at one face to form a steam chamber with a peripheral wall, a steam generator mounted upon the detachable base portion and located internally of the housing when the base portion is attached to the housing, the steam generator having a water chamber for receiving water to be vaporised, elongate passages leading from the water chamber to spaced, steam exits in the generator and an integral electric heating element for heating both the water chamber and the passages and in which steam from the steam exits flows to the steam chamber.
In another form, a hand-held wallpaper steamer for use in stripping wallpaper comprises a housing with a base portion open at one face to form a steam chamber with a peripheral wall, a steam generator accommodated within the housing adjacent the base portion, the steam generator having a water chamber for receiving water to be vaporised, elongate passages leading from the water chamber to spaced steam exits in the orifices, and an integral electric heater disposed so as to heat both the water chamber and the passages, connections from the steam exits to the steam chamber and in which the steam generator occupies an area less than that of the open face of the steam chamber.
In a further embodiment, a hand-held wallpaper steamer for use in stripping wallpaper comprises a housing with a base portion having a floor and a wall round the floor to form an open-faced steam chamber, a steam generator accommodated within the housing, the steam generator having a water chamber for receiving water to be vaporised, elongate passages leading from the water chamber to steam exits in the generator, an internal electric heater for heating both the water chamber and the passages, connections from the steam exits to the steam chamber to allow steam from the generator to enter the steam chamber, and in which the steam generator is spaced from the floor to limit heat transfer from the steam generator to the floor.